Osku Maikonnen

Osku Maukonen came through Reipas Lahti's youth ranks before signing his first professional contract with FC Lahti at the age of 15, a three-year deal agreed in November 2022. He did not have to wait long to cash in on it: on 3 June 2023 he made his Veikkausliiga debut, becoming the youngest goalkeeper ever to appear in Finland's top flight and the first player born in 2007 to feature in the league.

His path since has not been a straight line upward. After three appearances in that debut season, Maukonen took on a heavier workload in 2024, playing 14 times as Lahti slipped into a relegation playoff spot. The club went down, and Maukonen went with it into the Ykkösliiga, playing 26 matches as Lahti won the second-tier title and returned to the Veikkausliiga. His form persuaded the club to tie him down further, with his contract extended in October 2024 through to the end of 2026.

Maukonen has also worked his way steadily through Finland's youth international set-up, collecting caps at under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 level before a call-up to the under-21s. Among his early honours is a bronze medal won with FC Lahti's C15 side at the Kai Pahlman Tournament in 2021, a reminder of how long he has been on the club's radar. He has not yet featured for Finland's senior side.